Shawn and Linda Gillilland bought their farm from Ben Wever in 2005. The 495-acre farm in the Adirondacks had been in Wever’s family since 1829. 

Ben spent five years passing on what he had learned about farming and conservation to the Gillillands, who then honored their mentor by naming the farm after him. 

Since then, the Gillillands have sought to embody Ben’s land ethic while creating a living laboratory of agroforestry and regenerative agriculture. They raise grass-fed beef cattle and sheep with a rotational grazing system, and sell honey and forest products derived on the farm.

As an active participant in New York’s Agricultural Environmental Management program, Ben Wever Farm is a conservation showcase in Essex County. For the Gillillands, innovation is not just about adopting new practices but weaving them together into a resilient, adaptive, and productive system. 

An example of this synergy was establishing grazing paddocks amid the farm’s forests. Incorporating silvopasture into their managed grazing and forest management plans ensures that the movement of livestock supports forest regeneration, control brush, and maintains open understory for wildlife. Mushroom cultivation and sustainable mushroom foraging also take place in the farm’s forests. 

Livestock are fenced away from the Boquet River, and a runoff management system was built next to a heavy use barnyard to protect water quality. The establishment of riparian buffers to protect a stream from runoff included planting 10,000 trees.

As New York State’s steepest river, dropping more than 2,700 feet over its course, the Boquet provides habitat for diverse flora and fauna, imperiled mussels and landlocked Atlantic salmon. The Gillillands allow state and federal agencies to monitor salmon along their stretch of the river to restore salmon habitat. 

In 2023, the Gillillands committed 294 acres, including two miles of river shoreline, to a permanent conservation easement with the Adirondack Land Trust with support from The Nature Conservancy. This safeguards vital habitat while improving biodiversity. Public fishing access is also granted along the river. 

The Gillillands improve conditions for wildlife in several ways. Planned forest stand improvements will provide critical habitat for bats and songbirds. Following construction of a new pond system, waterfowl returned to the farm. Hay harvests are timed to avoid disturbance of nesting grassland birds whenever possible.

The farm also houses their daughter Chauntel’s equestrian business that offers riding lessons and programs that provide youth with a connection to animals and the land. Her husband, Pierre-Luc worked with two regional non-profits to develop a community composting system on the farm. They use livestock manure and food waste from local restaurants as part of the compost that provides a natural fertilizer for their cropland. 

Shaun, who served as a U.S. Navy Captain for 25 years, has championed efforts to support military veterans transitioning into agriculture. He also served in town and county government offices. 

The Gillilland family’s commitment to learning, experimentation, and passing their knowledge on to others includes hosting logger trainings, silvopasture workshops, 4-H and legislative tours, and a guided birding walk for the public with the Bobolink Project.

Ben Wever used to say, “If you aren’t learning something new every day on the farm, you aren’t working hard enough.”

The Gillillands say that ‘Ben-ism’ and his conservation ethic still drive them today. 

Ben Wever would be proud.